We are talking bicycle gear in this post. Specifically we are sharing about our Yakima Lite Rider 3 Bike Rack experience in this gear review article. It’s been a trusty item in our road trip adventures for the past several years as we traversed the United States and Canada as full-time nomads.

If you are looking for a two person bike rack and something that is easy to use then check out our gear review on the Yakima Lite Rider 3.

When we hit the road in 2020 as nomads I knew the bicycles were coming along. (They even went to Alaska with us on a ferry, though the Yakima Lite Rider 3 stayed in a parking lot in Bellingham WA on that trip.) Picking out a bike rack though made me a little nervous, even though I knew it was a must have item.

We didn’t have a bike rack because we were basically “city riders”. If we went on an outdoor adventure trip it meant getting on an airplane so the bikes stayed put in Central Ohio. (Times have changed as I now pretty much only fly internationally.)

I’d had one previous experience with a bike rack and it wasn’t great. It was my fault and I bought a very cheap connector rack that hooked to the trunk of your car. I had a heavy duty mountain bike, a Kia Optima, and a flimsy bike rack. The concoction and combination wasn’t a great mix.

I’m grateful when I called Fun Trail that they recommended the Yakima Lite Rider 3 as my internet searches seemed to keep gravitating me back to this bike rack! Fun Trail saying yes as well made it an easy purchase.

Do you need to hire someone to install this bike rack?

No. Fun Trail did an excellent job installing the hitch on the back of the car. Since I was also purchasing the bike rack from them and they were installing the hitch the same day they let me “self install” the rack with on the hitch while they watched to make sure I knew what I was doing!

Are you nervous the bikes are going to fall off?

With my old bike rack, the answer was YES! I used it twice before I couldn’t handle my nerves anymore. The Lite Rider 3 is durable. It has taken two Raleigh bicycles to Washington State from Ohio and back, to SoCal and back from Ohio and up and down mountain roads, forest service trail roads, and through thunderstorms, high winds, and nasty snow. Not only did it always stay put, I was never once nervous.

Why should I consider a Yakima bike rack?

1. Weight. It’s super light and easy to take off if and when you need to. I can pick it up with one hand and move it around/take it off.

2. Durable. This rack has seen it all and had some miles put on it with two bikes and not flinched.

3. Back of the car installation. I don’t know about you but those bike racks with the rack on the top of the car scare the daylights out of me! I’m sure they are durable but it would give me a resting heart rate of 170 I think if I drove with one.

4. Installation. Easy. When the Nissan Rogue goes bye bye (it will be a sad day for me) the Yakima Lite Rider comes off in two easy steps and will go with us to our next vehicle.

5. Sticker Approved! We have decorated our Yakima Rack in stickers during our travels around the world. It’s a constant reminder of all the beautiful places and people we have connected with on this planet. There’s room for DOZENS of stickers!

6. Secure. You can lock it in place. Which is great for peace of mind when left outside on street parking in the night and on a windy day LOL! We have left it locked on the street in Seattle, Malibu, Columbus, San Fran, Sedona, Asheville, and many more places without any issues.

7. Accessories. They are included. The three gear locks for each bike (six total for a 2 bike rack) and strap were included with the rack and all we need to keep them locked in!

Why should I buy a bike rack?

1. You like to ride your bicycle places that you don’t live. No seriously some people like to take their bikes on vacations and to cool paths around their own community and it makes the job easy! It will get you to explore bike trails that you would have never considered visiting before.

2. You are a serial road tripper. If you hit the road and do so in active way having your bikes along and not having to rent bikes every time you go somewhere is great. I loved having mine in small towns that I felt like I could never explore on foot but also didn’t want to be behind a steering wheel.

3. If the Yakima Lite Rider 3 is out of date by the time you read this I would venture to guess their next model will be great as well. This bike rack has made me become a Yakima rack customer for the rest of my life, without a doubt!

If you are looking for a bike rack I hope this Yakima Gear Review Article was helpful for you!

When we were getting ready to hit the road the bike rack seemed trivial and a bit annoying to figure out which one to get and to know how to use it.

I have to say it was, and is, one of the most consistently used pieces of gear that I own. It’s not one that gets all the hub and ahhhh’s but it’s one that allows me to explore more of the world on two wheels instead of four!

Thanks for reading this gear review, if you have other recommendations or thoughts on bike racks put them in the comments!

Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R